You Tube of Lance showing his pigs

It's really not terribly exciting to watch a pig show, but I thought I would share this short video with you in case you have never seen a pig show at the county fair before. Enjoy!

In case your wondering what else you might do at the county fair...you can watch this!

Lance's pig showing debut.....

 After a few months of taking care of the pigs it was time for Lance to show them off a bit. This was Lance's first time showing a pig, or any animal for that matter. The first time in the ring he didn't even realize who the judge was (excuse me while I still giggle over that one). He was in the one of the first classes and didn't have the chance to watch any of the previous classes to get a feel for what was going on.

 The second time in the ring went just as well as the first, except he knew who the judge was this time...smile. I was really amazed at how relaxed he seemed to be throughout the whole showing process. I think I was more nervous than he was.....I just wanted him to have fun and enjoy the whole experience, and I am glad to report that he did.

 Here is the load of ribbons he brought home. He got Champion Bred, Born and Raised with each of his pigs. (Which means the farm were the pig's mom was bred, the pigs were then born, and then raised on a farm all in the same county we also showed them in.)

 We were super excited that Lance got 4th out of 19 Rookie Showman (this was their first year to show). He also got a BLUE ribbon, and BLUE HONOR for his woodworking project. At the end of the fair you get to sell your livestock in an auction. Since Lance took two pigs to fair you get whatever the market price is for one pig (which was .52 per lb.), and then you can sell one pig through the auction. His pig sold to a group of very generous buyers for $825.00!!! In case your wondering those buyers don't even get the pig....they just donate the money to support the 4-Her...cool huh!

Well we had such a fantastic first year getting back into the 4-H game (Justin & I were both 10yr members). My goal when starting this whole new adventure was for him to learn some new life skills, hard work, responsibility, and to have a good time. We accomplished all of those things...plus a few more for a bonus.

Fair FUN!!

We had lots of FUN during the 4-H Fair. We went to a few grandstand events moto-cross, Demo Derby, the boys went to the truck pull as well. We milked a cow (pretend), passed the time reading books, enjoyed some yummy fair food, and just plain had a LOT of GOOD TIMES!

One Girly Bag.....coming right up!

I found a pattern here on another blog I follow for making this cute little bag! I thought maybe Julia needed a little bag to carry around some things to keep her busy during fair week. To make this bag you only need one fat quarter (22x18 inch) piece of fabric cut in half. I chose two different fabrics so my lining fabric would be different. When I say it was easy, I mean I whipped this bag up in about 30-45 min. or so!

I decided to use my WONDERFUL Big Shot machine to make this flower (I put one one each side). This yellow fabric is the same one I used on the inside of the bag. I simply used some fabric adhesive to put the flower on and then hand sticked around it to secure it. I will change up how I do the ribbon straps next, but other than that I really LOVE how it turned out!!

Julia helped me the whole way along....she loves helping me on anything she can when it comes to sewing! She is proud of her new bag and proudly totes it everywhere she can.

Pre-Fair Preparations!

Before we loaded up the pigs to start our busy week of the 4-H fair we had a lot of things to do. We washed the pigs, we rinsed the pigs, we trimmed up the pigs (gave a haircut). Julia (bottom left) thought is was great fun to supervise all the action. Lance couldn't stop laughing because between the pigs shaking soap all over him and his dad spraying him with the hose he was soaking wet! Uncle Nate (bottom right) came over to help up clip up the pigs....thanks Uncle Nate!

More pictures to come, along with the details on our fun filled, crazy busy week of our FIRST year back in the 4-H game.

Quilt Happy & Scrap Happy Giveaway Winners!

Congrats to JOELY for being the winner of the QUILT HAPPY prize Pack!

Congrats to MEGAN for winning the Scrap Happy Pack!

I have sent each of you ladies an email and look forward to talking with you soon! If you haven't signed up for my other TWO giveaway HURRY and sign up NOW....deadline is SOON!

Snikiddy Snacks~Mama Buzz Review~

The folks at Snikiddy sent us a FREE bag of the tasty cheddar cheese fries as part of this review. I have to tell you the first thing I wanted to know about this company was "What is up with this weird name?" So in case you want to know the same thing here is a blurb from their site. I think after reading this you might understand their products a bit better.

How Snikiddy Got it’s Name:

Snikiddy® is a shortened (and let’s face it, easier to say) form of the word persnickety, which means choosy or picky. Growing up, Janet (Mary’s mom) and her siblings were known around school as the Snikiddy kids (a badge they wore proudly) because they always ate healthy lunches. Their mom (Grandma), ahead of her time with her passion for good health, would pack their lunch boxes full of locally grown organic produce and very simple foods. A teacher once referred to them as being persnickety and the kids’ version of the word (snikiddy) stuck.

Grandma’s passion for healthy eating was obviously contagious. It was passed from generation to generation and in 2006 Janet and Mary founded Snikiddy®. At Snikiddy®, we are persnickety about our products – whether we’re insisting on top-quality ingredients or simple ingredients such as real cheese, potatoes and corn, we take pride in every product we make and are confident that these snacks would pass the true test…your family’s! We thank you for being Snikiddy® about your snacks too!

We got just a small bag to review, and boy was it gone at record speed! I had everyone in my family try some and everyone liked it! I think these snack are genius really. A great tasting product that uses all natural ingredients, but still satisfies your snack cravings. I think it's great that this company has gone out of the way to offer a product that tastes really yummy, but without all the yucky stuff ! (see below for more details) I plan to buy them again for my family to enjoy. We don't typically buy a lot of snack food around here, so I plan to purchase them on occasion as a special treat. In case your wondering how much this snack will cost you, $1.79 for a 4.5 oz bag.

If you are curious to find out what other flavors Snikiddy offers, which is ALOT, be sure to go check out their site. While your there sign up for their newsletter and get a COUPON so you can try them yourself. If your into all the social networks be sure to follow them on Twitter or Facebook.


Here is a little more detailed information about the fine products at Snikiidy!

A healthy, tasty alternative to typical fried snacks like potato chips, making them a favorite for families seeking healthy snack options-

• All Natural
• Gluten-free
• Wheat-free
• No corn syrup
• Peanut-free
• No preservatives
• No trans fats
• No hydrogenated oils
• 50% less fat than potato chip

Guess What????? 

You can thank Snikiddy because they are offering to giveaway a bag of their snacks to one of

The Gaertegang readers.......Here is how you can WIN!!

You must complete #1 to win...be sure to leave an additonal comment for each entry

1. You must be a follower of THE GAERTEGANG~Mandatory entry

If your not sure how to do that go here for an explanation.

2. Share this giveaway on your blog (leave me a link), Facebook, & Twitter. ~1 entry for each one

3. Tell me which flavor you would like to try by visiting SNIKIDDY.

This giveaway will end on July 31 at noon!

On Your Mark.....Get Set.....GO...GO....GO!

 I know I have already mentioned the 4-H fair and all the busy things we have been up to lately. The other night (Monday) I wanted to do a special supper to celebrate what we had already accomplished and wish Lance good luck on his judging (which was Tuesday morning.) So I got the table "all dressed up" by my standards anyway....and we enjoy a meal of yummy food together and prayed for Lance and all the FUN we would be having over the next week.

 chicken & noodles, baked buttery red potatoes, peaches, and fresh zucchini bread....Mmm!

DANIELLE

More Fun in the Sun....contintued

We made last minute arrangements to go and visit my aunt and her family at their lake house for the night last Friday. We had such a great time....pizza, swimming, boat rides, camp fire, smores.....what more could you want? Well they might have wanted a night out on the town, since it was their 16th wedding anniversary, but they chose to spend it with us all. Here are some snap shots of the fun!

Although it appears that Lance is posing for this shot...he wasn't....this is one of my favorite shots of him lately!

This was Justin's first time to drive of a fancy boat like this one...

This is my four kiddos and then the three extra girls are my aunt's..plus Mr. Andrew who is missing from the pic.

I had to include this photo! I LOVE this house....over 100 years old, and it was moved from another state to this pretty lake. the brick part to the left was added...but you honestly could not tell it looked so beautiful and authentic. Isn't is just darling?

DANIELLE

More FUN in the sun!

 We decided after a whole week of working hard on 4-H projects and other household stuff...we took a day to have!!! We went to a local park and ran some energy off........

 

 

 We even had a picnic to enjoy the day.......Lance was thrilled that after all his hard work all week he got to invite his best friend, Zeke, along for the day as well. We didn't know it at the time...but our day of FUN didn't end here! More fun to share tomorrow!
 
DANIELLE

Another Quilting~Table runner~

 After completing the Downy Quilt for Kids, I took off working on another project! I bought this fabric at Jo-Ann's over  a month ago...I bought it in a jelly. Which for all you non-quilting people that mean it came in a pre-cut bundle of 20 strips of 2 1/2" X 42". They look like this.

I think this is a small jelly roll compared to the ones sold at the actual quilt stores...but I am not totally sure.  I wanted to make this table runner double sided so you could flip it over for a fresh look whenever you wanted. Here is the one side......

 

 Nothing fancy I simply sewed all the strips together to make the backing....which could be the front side if you wish. I wasted virtually NONE of the fabric....lovin' that!

 I wanted to machine quilt it myself, as opposed to paying someone else to do it for me. I did a simple meandering curve. It was one a total whim...not perfect....but it was what I came up with at the time. My machine isn't all that great for machine quilting, but for very simple applications (which is the only thing I am capable of at this point anyway)it does the job. I am very excited to give this to one of my very good friends. For some reason I think of the beach when I look at this table runner (well, the fabric line is called Neutral Mediterranean..go figure). This very good friend has seashells all over her house...her family has been to the beach on vacation many times....ohhh and did I mention she doesn't know she is getting it yet? Part of the fun of making things....is giving them to the people you love.

DANIELLE

Downy Quilts for Kids

If you have ever wanted to do a serve project but just didn't know where you would fit it into your schedule then you should consider Downy Quilts for kids! I heard about this program through my local quilt club I belong to. You go online and sign up for a kit. Downy Quilts will send you ALL the fabric you need, along with the pattern for the quilt, right to your door step!!! The only expense involved is buying the batting, and then pay for the $4.95 shipping to send it back. I used batting I already had on hand. Downy Quilts for Kids does ask you to complete the quilt in 4-6 weeks. So you'll  have plenty of time to complete this FUN and EASY quilt for such a great cause. What is the cause you ask? These quilts go to children while they are in the hospital. These quilts bring comfort and smiles to children as they can feel a little more at "home" with a quilt on their bed instead of looking a the blah blankets the hospitals normally provide.

 This is the fabric they sent me.......

 I loved the backing fabric (which was the same as the border fabric)....super bright. Did I mention that they had all the fabric pre-cut for you as well! Really they make this whole process very user friendly! This would be a great beginner quilt for anyone who wonders if they would like quilting. The website reports that over 10,000 quilts have been made and given around the country to children who suffer from illness or child abuse. To request your kits go HERE!

DANIELLE

Flower Cutting Garden Update!

My cutting flowers that I put in the garden are doing great! I think you all know how much I LOVE having blooming flowers around the house and then cutting them  to enjoy inside as well! At this point I have mainly zinnias blooming. Have I mentioned before how much I LOVE zinnias!!! The color and flower variation is limitless......so here are a few that are blooming right now!

DANIELLE

Keeping Cool!

I am sure glad we enjoyed every minute of that nice 70 degree weather we had last, because this week of the 90's has been not so much fun. We enjoyed some time at the pool for awhile (thanks Uncle Gary and Aunt Suzy!). Here are some picture to prove it!

 

It's a shame that no one in my house likes to go swimming, isn't it?

DANIELLE

Country Living....

Country living is the best......of course this is my opinion.....I can't imagine any other way I rather be. I like the quiet....watching nature......my garden growing.....my proud little guys getting to drive their first tractor.....Here are a few more reasons I love living in the country.

My big man Zach is getting all set to drive the tractor from grandpa's to our house.....

Here he is in action.......... Dad only had to grab the wheel a couple times....

When we got home, Justin started mowing down the field. Justin then instructed Lance on what to do and how to operate everything. Lance was off mowing (under our supervision).......he did a GREAT job!!!

Where else do you get to enjoy climbing round bales? I can't think of anywhere else!

DANIELLE

Just for the JOY of it!

It has been a couple of weeks since I've joined up HERE for Just for the JOY of it! This week (yesterday actually) I was sooooooooo thrilled to get this back!!!!!

I had to leave my wedding rings at the jeweler for about 3 1/2 weeks. I had to have some work done....Over the past years I have had several issues with my solitaire getting loose (because it's a princess cut...I guess they cause issues often).

I love how it looks all super shiny when you get it back from the jeweler.....I wish it stayed that way! Plus, I have always loved my ring...Hubby did an amazing job picking it out all by himself didn't he? Over the years I have come to love what this really represents. Our devotion and commitment, another, how much I truly LOVE my spouse, the hard times, the good times, the children we've added to our home, our growth in God as we walk through our life journey together. I always remember the night he proposed to me...such joy. When the diamonds catch my eye, I remember back to the fantastic wedding day we shared......what a party that was! JOY.....JOY......JOY!!!

I would love it if you left me a comment telling me one thing that has brought you JOY this week.

DANIELLE

FINALLY we made it to the ZOO!!

I don't really remember when the last time was that we visited the zoo. I do remember that either Caleb, who is now seven, was and infant or maybe it was Zach, who is now five. Either way I am pretty sure it's been to long. We have a ZOO that is ranked in the TOP TEN in the nation that is basically in our backyard. What a shame we don't visit more often. It was absolutely gorgeous last Thursday when we went! We thought it was best to go ahead and get the zoo pass since we could only be there for 3 hours. I am excited that we can go back whenever we want and enjoy all the FUN things they offer.

Not a great picture on many levels....but it's the only group shot we took that morning.

The giraffe display was really cool. We were so close to them! They are so awkward looking, yet so amazing at the same time.

As you can imagine these drums are a HUGE hit with the kids!!!! I am pretty sure they would have stayed in this spot for the rest of the morning. I really love all the interactive things for the kids to do.

DANIELLE

Hello Again!

We have been buzzing around here like busy bees for the past couple of weeks ( which equals not much blogging time). I wanted to take some time today to update on what we've been up to. I think I had mentioned to you before, Lance's first year of 4-H. So this time of year is very busy with finishing up record books, wood working project, poster boards, and getting our pigs at "just the right weight".

Lance took Shooting Sport, which is archery, as one of his 4-H projects this year. This was a great project for him to get consistent practice at shooting once a week. Although it was a fun thing to do, I am also happy that he is gaining more life skills along the way. Someday he will be able to bring us home some meat with his accurate shooting. The only thing we have to do yet is complete his poster board.

Here are "Jacob" & "John" our pigs. I don't know which is which, but Lance does. One is a Chester White,which was developed in Chester County Pennsylvania. Swine breeders crossed White English hogs with small local hogs and the result was "Chester County Whites". The other pig is a Landrace. This is a newer breed in the US. Landrace come from Danish Landrace hogs. The American Landrace is all white and has a long body. Both breeds are known for being white in color, good mothers, and large floppy ears that hang over their eyes. We weighed them this past Saturday (thanks Uncle Nate) and know they won't be over the weight limit. You could say they are on the Eat ALL you want to diet.

The third and final project Lance is woodworking. (I am glad we decided to limit him to three!) He has been working through the workbook (we are done now) and learning lots of great information. This past weekend was a "woodworking fest". He decided to make a trial copy of the project first to get it all dialed in. Again I love that he is interested in woodworking because of all the life skills he is gaining in the process. Knowing how to operate all the different tools, measuring, safety are all things he has been learning. Getting to spend ALOT of time with his dad all by himself is just an added BONUS!!!

The 4-H fair is just a hop skip and a jump away......lots of work yet to do.....lots of FUN to be had!

DANIELLE